Surf Smart: 25 Must Have Chrome Extensions That Are Super Useful

Google Chrome has become one of the most successful browsers since its launch. As per the latest statistics from Start Counter, Chrome is the second most-used browser globally. That it comes from the Google stable is the icing on the cake. The browser has won plaudits with swift performance, clean interface, and easy mobile adaptability.

The Chrome browser uses small programs called extensions to improve the browsing experience and extend functionality. These extensions are very simple in appearance without fancy UI and are highly functional. They do not have to rely on the web content as they use bundling to put together required files at the time of installation. These extensions are reliable and make your time on the internet more productive.

We sifted through the multitudes of extensions on the Google web store to bring you these super useful Chrome extensions in the most popular categories.

News and Feeds

Feedly: Now get all your subscribed feed right in your browser. The latest version allows you see to the posts as soon as they are added to the RSS and atom feeds. You can also customize the number of feeds you would like to view at a time. You don’t need to leave your browser anymore to get the latest news on topics you care about.

Clearly: Like the name suggests, Clearly removes the annoying ads that take away from the joy of reading. With Clearly, you can read blog-posts, articles and, websites without clutter and noise on the page. You can even highlight the important text and it automatically syncs to the notes in your Evernote account.

NewsSquares: If you are a Google Reader fan then you’ll just love this extension. You get the same great features and quick updates like Google Reader. Newssquares only makes it more interactive and stylish. This extension can be customized and also be set as homepage via options in the settings.

News Factory: this extension is a one stop shop for all the social and other news on a single page. You can update your Google Reader feeds into this extension and also add new items with a single click. You also have the option to customize notifications.

RSS Subscription: Up until now, Google did not have the much needed RSS feed subscription ability built into the browser. However, with this simple extension, you would be able to subscribe to feeds automatically after chrome detects regular feeds. If you’re big on reader feeds, this extension is a must-have.

Productivity

Save to Google Drive: You can install this extension into your browser with a single click and start saving web pages, images and videos to your Google Drive right away. This is the best extension to send pages to Google drive and convert them as well. If you use Google Drive extensively, this will prove to be a boon.

Any.Do: One of the most popular productivity app is now available for the chrome browser. Create notes, reminders, task lists, to-do lists and more. It even syncs across your devices to make sure no tasks slip through while you work on multiple devices.

Grammarly Lite: If you’re a writer, editor or use mail frequently, Grammarly will proofread your documents and anything that you send out. The extension integrates spell check, grammar check and thesaurus all into one.

Social

Hangouts: This extension is an integration of Gtalk, Google+ messenger, video conferencing service and Google voice. Many people mistake it as a part of Gmail alone but it is also available on chrome as an extension.

Wise Stamp: With this extension, you can create multiple signatures for your standard account. You can also add dynamic content to your signature like the tweets, RSS feed, quotes etc.Download Wise Stamp Here

Rapportive: This extension can be integrated with your Gmail account and works flawlessly. With your rapportive profile, people will be able to see all the information that you allow to display publicly.

Facebook for Chrome: Accessed with a simple click of a button, this extension will open up your news feed. You can instantly see any notifications by opening Facebook for chrome. This extension is an ideal fix for people who love both Chrome and Facebook.

Instagram for Chrome: With the help of instatabs, never miss on a single update. You can browse, comment, share or like instantly. With the help of this extension, you can access instagram on every tab that you open.

Music & Video

SoundControl: Now control and automate Pandora on your chrome without getting distracted by ads. It is linked to Pandora directly which means that now you can enjoy, like or share your music without any annoying ads.

Radio Player Live: If you want to enjoy some free online radio listening, this extension on Chrome is your best bet. You can add your favourite radio stations with a single click and are easy to manage.

Magic Actions for YouTube: With this extension, you can get to view the videos in its pure form that is without ads, auto play, auto HD, Cinema Mode, volume control, screenshot etc. You can optimize your YouTube experience just by installing this extension.

Zazoo: This simple extension adds lots of interesting information about music videos like the lyrics, artist info, photos, latest tweets and more on YouTube. After installation, it can be automatically accessed from the YouTube page. You can now turn every music video into a LIVE viewing experience.

Spend a while on the web store and you’ll realize there are add-on’s extensions and apps to customize your chrome browser to suit precisely to your liking and requirement. This list, while not exhaustive is a great place to start to make your browsing experience well rounded, efficient and fun.

3 Comments

If I was to expand on that list with three desert-island extensions, they’d be:

• Evernote Web Clipper – I’d be lost without Evernote; • InoReader – IMHO, the closest RSS to the defunct Google Reader, but eminently more user-friendly (and configurable to make it the default RSS in Chrome); • and Switcher – an extension manager that enables you to turn extensions and apps on and off without having to start up Chrome’s task manager or Extensions page. Keeping only the extensions you need running is crucial if you’ve got many tabs open that are using a high percentage of your PC’s RAM.

Great list and certainly one I’m going to bookmark. And, yes – in Evernote!

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